johnsmithuk

Quick update time again. I did some surgery to a Hornby class 06 Pullman. Following a few different youtube tutorials, but mainly Bunters Yard, I transplanted a 4-pin DCC decoder into the chassis. Amazingly it worked straight away. Here is some evidence, the slow running is amazing, depending how quick this loco ran on even the lowest DC input. Layout news, I just have the two points that form the inglenook to lay, and a few more point motors to install. The first of the inspection pits has been fitted to existing track, and now just need to find the guys to hack a hole in the baseboard to install it. Thanks for reading. John

Continuing the plasticard theme I used small strips to hold the LED's in place. The wires were removed from the terminal block and extended. After fixing them to the frame, and drilling a hole in the hut floor, it was showtime. Success, the hut has light. Lessons learnt. 1. The extended wires cannot be too long. 2. A bigger resister would give a glow rather than spotlight feel. 3. Some tracing paper on the windows will calm down the hard light from the LED. Or make a lampshade type device. Thanks for reading. John

Like Lazarus hearing of a 50% off sale at DFS, I'm back. Taking advantage of some spare time, I have had a go at adding some lighting to the workshop that came with my Metcalfe enging shed. This was always going to be my experimentation subject, so time for a ritual sacrifice. I built a frame for inside the hut using plasticard, for holding the LED's as the hut has no internal structure to take advantage of. I added some feet to the frame to help with stability. I knocked up a small curcuit that would stop the two yellow LED's from burning out from my 12v supply. Continued in the next post.

Please forgive the thread hijack, but what is the box conecting your controller to the layout? Thanks John

It is, I purchesed them 4 for £10 from ebay. They seem to give some wiggle room when fitting the seeps. I have no conection with the seller, other than being a satisfied customer. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333779875070

Another two track pieces are down, and wires soldered. The track screws arrived, and have been utilised.

A new toy arrived today. The replacement track screws are on their way. I have assembled the gantry, and mocked up a scene, using the full inglenook sidings. The white blocks represent buffers, as the two sidings have been cut short, and lifted as part of the Beeching *spit* cuts. The signals will be appropriately weathered, and ideally put a red and green light on the one running line. A few pictures below. Thanks for reading. John

Following this with interest.

Thank you for taking an interest in someone as ham-fisted as me, muddling/modeling my way through. ------ In other news, the first piece of track is down. The point rod thing moves smoothly on its motor, and just needs power. In time honored style, the track screws I put away safely are nowhere to be seen. Thanks for reading. John

8 switches are now fully soldered and heatshrinked. The plan is to actually lay some track tomorrow.

I like the look of that Hitachi Sentinel. I know shunters don't make much money, but there always seems a lack of them released.

Whilst in a soldering mood, I did this too. All conections have been tested, and show a good curcuit. A couple of singed fingers whilst doing the last switch told me I had done enough for today. I will continue after my next work cycle.

Happy new year everyone. Quick update. Soldering has begun on the actual layout track pieces.

Quick update. Today I drilled two holes in the baseboard, to start fitting point motors and laying track.

It is a kit I bought from ebay, if you need more details I can dig them out. Tolerances are tight and goes together easy. I have no connection to the seller.

I'm meant to be on nightshift tonight, but had a brainwave so had to act on it. I have built a trolley and place to drill through to put some chains to give the impression of a chain block crane. I used some I-beam cut in two to hook over the main I-beam, then built up layers underneath. It clips onto the main I-beam lovely, and can be removed to paint, weather and then pose if required. Picture below.

Last day before my next work cycle, and decided to try a little scenic scratch building for the first time ever. I wanted a gantry type crane over the loading bay and part of the track to unload deliveries and create some scenic interest. The crane will be non-working, but the idea is to be able to pose it so that it looks well used, but not so much nowadays. I ordered some I-beam plasticard a few weeks ago, and today set about it with a stanley knife and Mek Pak. I'm not sure it is 100% prototypical, more something built on site locally. The rise of HIAB trucks has removed most of its uses, so it will be a bit dilapidated. Paint, weathering and some form of block and tackle are still to add, but I am happy so far. Pictures below.

More soldering testing today. For a change from rails, I decided to have a go at setting up a test for the point motors. After as carefully as possible getting wires attached to a switch and point motor, the CDU, a power supply, some termial block and bits of wire were all combined. Power was switched on. No sparks or explosion. The switch was moved. The point rod/arm moved!!!!!! Success!!!!!

All of my stock is quite old/ebay bargains so I am having to customise as I go along. The kits I buy have draft boxes that hold the coupling via a screw. Some surgery is required, and liberal use of epoxy to create somewhere to mount the boxes. Anything I buy from now I will ensure has NEM pockets, but that is an aspiration at present.

After a work and birthday enforced break, modelling has resumed. The third set of retaining walls arrived and have been put together. Soldering practice has continued, slowly getting better. All the tests have been tested electrically and the current flows nicely through the joints. I think this clears the last mental barrier before laying track. So, next step is soldering for real, and getting track fixed down. Some pictures of my attempts are below.

Thank you

Wiring pictures please!!!!!!

Today has been a coupling day. The new longer couplings arrived weeks ago, and today I decided to try and fit them. After some small amount of course language, they line up with the guide, and each other!!!! Pics below. John

A little more card/MDF construction has happened.

A first idea for the exit of the works. The wood on the track represents buffers where old track was lifted and removed, leaving a stub for the works. A girder sided bridge will go over, concealing the exit to a fiddle yard/stick. Fencing would go behind the buffers, with a gate across the track to feed onto the network rails.